Nasopharyngeal colonisation by S. pneumoniae is common in childhood and is an essential prerequisite for invasive disease. Surveillance of pneumococcal colonisation can provide important data regarding serotype replacement and disease-associated serotypes, and may also allow prediction of likely IPD incidence changes post-vaccine introduction. A recent study of pneumococcal colonisation in children attending the AHC out-patients has documented an overall colonisation prevalence of approximately 65%.